The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

*Thwack!*
A dull thud echoed through the room, like someone being struck by a baseball, even though it was just a wad of paper. The young man’s body trembled as if he had been shocked by electricity. He crouched down on the floor, clutching his head. Uijae pointed an accusing finger at the cowering young man.

"Hunters these days, they're all just for show, huh?"
The next moment, Uijae stood up abruptly and punched the wall. *Bang!* The loud sound of the impact was accompanied by a hiccup-like noise. Just beside where Uijae’s fist landed, another head with navy blue hair slowly emerged from the wall. The young man who appeared from the wall slumped to the floor as well.
Uijae withdrew his fist and alternated his gaze between the man sitting on the floor and the other man still clutching his head. Their hair colors, body types, and the glimpse of their faces were strikingly similar—so much so that anyone might think they were the same person. Uijae narrowed his eyes.

"...What is this?"
"Oww..."
"Is everything okay in there?"

Jang Misook’s voice called out from outside. Both the young man on the floor and Uijae raised their heads at the same time. Uijae grabbed the young man by the nape of his neck and pulled him up, gesturing towards the door with a jerk of his chin. The gesture was clear—figure it out and answer quickly. The young man nodded and replied.
"Nothing’s wrong."
"Really?"

"Yeah, everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it."
Jang Misook’s footsteps gradually faded. Uijae released his grip, and the young man rubbed his neck, now showing a blue bruise, grumbling under his breath.
"All the info was wrong. I was told you were kind and decent, but you just throw punches right off the bat."

"Who told you to hide in the wall like a rat?"
"I didn’t think you’d attack right away."
"That wasn’t an attack; it was subduing. I didn’t know whether you were an enemy or not. You think I’d just leave you alone?"

"That’s true, but..."
"I had to remove the threat."
"You’ve got a point... Hard to argue with that."

The young man approached the one still curled up on the floor, squatting down beside him. Seeing the two of them side by side made the resemblance even more uncanny. The first thought that crossed Uijae’s mind was...
‘Clone?’
It wasn’t out of the question. He’d seen so many strange things in his life. Uijae asked them directly.
"So, which one of you is Mackerel?"

"Who do you think?"
The young man who had been curled up shakily stood up. The other, who had been talking nonstop, brushed his long bangs aside, revealing a strikingly handsome face. His eyes, a deep navy color like his hair, glinted with a hint of amusement.
"We're both Mackerel."

---
After the situation was settled, Uijae sat at a table across from the two who claimed to be Mackerel. The odd feeling of sitting across from two identical faces was hard to shake. The Mackerel who got hit with the business card still exuded a gloomy vibe, hunched over, while the other Mackerel, with his hair neatly pushed back, was casually holding a bottle of soju in one hand and soda in the other, contemplating.
"What would you like? Soju? Soda?"

"Soda."
"Got it."
The more talkative Mackerel poured soda into a glass with a bright smile and pushed it towards Uijae.

"Have a drink, and how about some sashimi? My brother here is really good at slicing fish."
The word "brother" caught Uijae's attention. He picked up his chopsticks and asked.
"Are you two brothers?"

"We’re identical twins. Don’t we look exactly alike? I feel like I’m always looking in the mirror."
"......"
The gloomier Mackerel nodded silently. Despite his long hair obscuring his face, their body types and the brief glimpses of his face were quite similar. The chattier Mackerel traced two human figures in the air with his finger.

"Well, to introduce ourselves briefly... We’re Mackerel. I handle all the business and customer relations because my brother is shy and prefers to stay behind the scenes. When people talk about Mackerel, they’re usually referring to me. Most people don’t know there are two of us."
"For someone shy, he’s sitting here just fine."
"That’s because…"

The younger Mackerel wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulders and playfully shoved him toward Uijae. Through the disheveled bangs, wide navy eyes stared back at him. The elder Mackerel shuddered and pulled back, while the younger Mackerel chuckled.
"We’re big fans of J. Especially my brother."
"What?"

The elder Mackerel pulled out a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and put them on. The younger one pouted.
"And yet you throw business cards at a fan. And use violence."
"Who threw something first?"

"You’re such an old man."
At this point, Uijae couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. The nerve of this guy! All Uijae did was return the favor to the rude brat who threw something at him first. The younger Mackerel waved his hand, and the wall with a hole from Uijae's punch reformed, looking as good as new.
It must be an awakened ability. Calming himself down, Uijae asked.

"Are both of you Awakeners?"
The two Mackerels exchanged glances. The younger one scratched the back of his head, looking awkward.
"Wow… So you really came here knowing nothing. This is new. Didn’t Lee Sa-young tell you anything?"

"Nope."
"Any rules or anything?"
"Don’t know."

The Mackerels started whispering to each other. Judging by Jang Misook’s and the younger Mackerel’s reactions, Uijae realized he had come here without knowing something obvious. Did Lee Sa-young intentionally leave him in the dark?
‘...Knowing Lee Sa-young, it wouldn’t be surprising.’ 
Uijae felt his frustration rising. Normally, in a movie or something, you’d deny that your partner would do such a thing. But knowing Lee Sa-young, it was entirely possible. Lee Sa-young always had more secrets than Uijae. Uijae could already imagine the excuses he’d give.

‘We’re not going to be apart anyway, right?’
‘I’ll explain everything when the time comes.’
‘Don’t you trust me...’

Damn it. Uijae gritted his teeth. He knew Lee Sa-young too well!
As Uijae seethed at Lee Sa-young’s sly behavior, the Mackerels were still muttering to each other. The younger one raised his voice slightly.
"So Lee Sa-young just dumped J here and left? What’s his deal? Do they really not get along? Then why are they always together? Or did Lee Sa-young just want to watch J flip this fish market upside down? Was this his way of screwing us over?"

The tone of the younger Mackerel’s words sounded off. Were they treating J like a walking disaster waiting to happen? Uijae’s eyebrow twitched. Not that anyone could see it behind his mask.
"Ah, wait a minute."
The elder Mackerel spoke up hesitantly, fidgeting with his fingers.

"We had an urgent client looking for him. We connected him there."
"Oh, right. Room 4, wasn’t it?"
"The conversation is still going on, right?"

"Y-Yes. Still ongoing."
"Is that so? Then we need to secure more clients."
The atmosphere around the younger Mackerel shifted. His eyes gleamed with the keen interest of a businessman. He leaned forward and whispered slyly.

"Now then, customer."
He clasped his hands together, smiling brightly.
"What can I help you with?"

"What? Suddenly?"
The Mackerel spread two of his long fingers.
"There are two types of people who step foot into the fish market: those who buy information and those who sell it."

"......"
"So, J... Which are you? Either way, I imagine you have a lot of valuable information, don’t you?"
"No."

"Hmm?"
"There’s a third option."
Uijae threw his chopsticks. The ceiling light shattered. *Crash!* Darkness engulfed the room. In the brief moment of silence, Uijae removed his gas mask and replaced it with his black mask.

He cracked his knuckles. The sound was sharp and clear.
His distorted voice echoed.
"I’m the guy who’s here to beat you down."

A shadow descended upon the Mackerel.
---
*Earlier, at the fish market.*

A black coat billowed. Though the surroundings had shifted into chaos, the figure’s steps were unwavering.
After walking for some time, a small security booth came into view. The old man inside, who had been dozing off, awoke to the presence of another. A gloved hand reached into its inventory and pulled out an old wooden plaque with the character for 'death' written on it.
"I'm here to meet someone."

"Hmm... Room 4 for you."
The old man mumbled as he slotted the wooden plaque into a gap in the booth. The tightly closed door slid open, revealing a long hallway with flickering red lights. Sa-young strode forward. Along the walls hung a single curtain
 of beads, the only break in the monotonous corridor.

When Sa-young lifted the beaded curtain, small beads rained down on his head. Inside the dimly lit room, a square table and two chairs filled the space, with a large fish tank occupying the wall. A few red goldfish swam diligently inside the bright blue water.
One chair was already occupied. Golden hair glinted beneath a scarf, and as the person crossed her legs, she lowered her sunglasses, revealing her eyes.
"Finally here, huh?"

"......"
"Hard to catch a glimpse of your face."
It was Honeybee.

Lee Sa-young didn’t respond as he walked leisurely toward her. He then sat across from her, crossing his legs as well. A shadow emerged and placed a cup in front of them. Steam rose from the cup. By the time the mist dissipated, Sa-young finally spoke.
"Seems like you were expecting me."
"Don't worry, nothing leaked. I came here every day until you showed up."

"...Every day?"
"Yeah, had a good reason for it."
Honeybee untied her scarf, letting her hair spill free.

"I asked Mackerel to connect me with you when you arrived."
"It must be urgent."
"It is. And it’s serious, too."

Honeybee tapped the table.
"Matthew is in critical condition."